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Senior Staff AI Safety and Alignment Research salary

What a Senior Staff AI Safety and Alignment Research (level IC5, Senior Staff) is paid in 2026 in the highest-paying US markets.

Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026

Median base salary, San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle

$326,500

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Median $327k 25th75th

The shaded middle, the 25th to 75th percentile, is where most companies aim. Anything inside it is normal pay for this level and market.

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AI Safety and Alignment Research pay by level

Median base salary, top-tier markets.

TitleMedian base
Associate AI Safety and Alignment ResearchIC1 Associate / Entry$127k
AI Safety and Alignment ResearchIC2 Mid-level$175k
Senior AI Safety and Alignment ResearchIC3 Senior$230k
Staff AI Safety and Alignment ResearchIC4 Staff$281k
Senior Staff AI Safety and Alignment ResearchIC5 Senior Staff$327k
Principal AI Safety and Alignment ResearchIC6 Principal$380k

All AI Safety and Alignment Research levels

Related roles at IC5

Questions

How much does a Senior Staff AI Safety and Alignment Research make?

In the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle, the modeled median base salary for a Senior Staff AI Safety and Alignment Research is $326,500. The range most companies pay is free with an account, and pay in other cities, bonus, and equity are in the full range on Benchmarked.

How do I know if I am underpaid?

Pay below the 25th percentile for your level and market is below what most companies target. Check your salary against this range to see your percentile, then use that number in a conversation with your manager.

Where do these numbers come from?

They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.